Bargain over wages, benefits, and working conditions with your employer.

Wear union buttons, T-shirts, stickers, or other items on the job.

Attend meetings to discuss joining a union.

Talk about the union during work time, as long as it doesn’t interfere with work.

Distribute union literature, on lunch or on breaks, on or off the company property.

Unfair Labor Practices What Employer Can’t Do

Interfering, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in PELRA

dominating or interfering with the formation, existence, or administration of any employee organization or contributing other support to it

discriminating in regard to hire or tenure to encourage or discourage membership in an employee organization

discharging or otherwise discriminating against an employee because the employee has signed or filed an affidavit, petition, or complaint or given information or testimony under PELRA

refusing to meet and negotiate in good faith with the exclusive representative of its employees in an appropriate unit

refusing to comply with grievance procedures contained in an agreement

distributing or circulating a blacklist of individuals exercising a legal right or of members of a labor organization for the purpose of preventing blacklisted individuals from obtaining or retaining employment

violating rules established by the commissioner regulating the conduct of representation elections

refusing to comply with a valid decision of a binding arbitration panel or arbitrator

violating or refusing to comply with any lawful order or decision issued by the commissioner or the board

Refusing to provide, upon the request of the exclusive representative, all information pertaining to the public employer's budget both present and proposed, revenues, and other financing information provided that in the executive branch of state government this clause may not be considered contrary to the budgetary requirements of sections 16A.10 and 16A.11

granting or offering to grant the status of permanent replacement employee to a person for performing bargaining unit work for the employer during a lockout of employees in an employee organization or during a strike authorized by an employee organization that is an exclusive representative

Investigations

You have the right to be represented by the Union in all investigatory interviews.

Tennessen Warning

The government must give individuals notice when collecting private or confidential information from them. This is referred to as a "Tennessen warning notice." Government may also call it a "privacy notice," a "notice of collection of private/confidential data," or something similar. The purpose of the notice is to enable people to make informed decisions about whether to give information about themselves to the government.

In the notice, your employer may order you to answer questions

The notice must include the following

The reason government is collecting the data,

How government plans to use the data,

Whether the person is legally required to provide the data or may refuse to do so,

Consequences if the person provides the data,

Consequences if the person does not provide the data, and

The identities of people and entities that have access to the data by law. (For example, all notices should include that data may be shared upon court order or provided to the state or legislative auditor.

Garrity Warning

A Proper Garrity Warning will inform the employee whether they are being compelled to answer questions and, if compelled, the statements cannot be used in any criminal proceeding.